You are here

Environment

For nature lovers there is a variety of natural environments to be found right across Moreton Island. The island has a rich array of plant communities from stunted heathlands to open eucalypt forests. Travel through beautiful bush land around Middle Road and Bulwer to North Point road which also has plenty of grass trees and Banksia. The Scribbly Gum and Pink Bloodwood grow everywhere in Moreton's bushland. The sandy soils are low in nutrient so trees and shrubs rely on the surface nutrients for food. Spinifex grass and other salt resistant ground cover plants grow all over the sand dunes holding them together preventing erosion. Moreton Island hosts a wide variety of wildflowers in the spring time.

Heathlands can be found along Bulwer to North Point Road (the backtrack), swamps which provide havens for frogs and native fish can be seen along the Cowan Bypass Road, the largest stretching from Comboyuro Point all the way to Ben Ewa along the western side of the island. Both Perched Lakes, where the water is held above the water table and Window Lakes, where the land dips below the water table can be found around the Island, with Blue Lagoon and Honeyeater lake situated towards the north end of the Island.

There is plenty of Wildlife Viewing on Moreton Island which can be found around the island along the walking and 4WD tracks, in the waters surrounding the Island or on the beaches. Moreton Island is a perfect place for Bird Watching, Over 180 species of birds, including seabirds, forest birds and birds of prey, can be seen. Wading birds can be found on the island, especially between September and April when many birds migrate from other countries.

The waters surrounding Moreton Island which is part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park is teeming with life, such as Humpback Whales can be viewed as they frolic in pods off Cape Moreton during their migration from June to November, also dolphins, sharks and turtles can be seen from this vantage point. The sea grasses are where you will see dugongs at the southern end of the island. Moreton Bay supports a large population of Green and Loggerhead Turtles which come to nest on Moreton Island between November and February on the beach. There is also a wide variety of fish species surrounding the Island, including Bream, Squid, Dart, Flathead, Tailor and Whiting.